Phil Helms' father passed away; his son reminisces about the family legacy.

Phil Helms Sr., father of poker legend Phil Helms, passed away on Sunday from cancer at an unknown age. Phil Helms Jr. announced the news on social media, reminiscing about his father's pride and support for the family.

The poker world is saddened by the passing of Phil Hellmuth Sr., father of poker legend Phil Hellmuth Jr., on Sunday. His age is unknown. He had been battling cancer for nine months.

Helms Jr. announced the news on social media.

Helms Sr. was an accomplished academic. He held a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University, where he met his future wife, Lynn. He also held a PhD and an MBA, and spent his entire illustrious career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Arts and Sciences.

In his autobiography, *Poker Brat*, Helms Jr. wrote about his parents' reaction when he told them he was going to drop out of college to play professional poker: "Can you imagine his reaction to me dropping out of college to play professional poker? I was the son who had to go to college, who had to get good grades. I was the son he was desperately trying to mold and cultivate."

Despite frequent arguments with his father in his youth, Helms Jr. quickly introduced him to major poker tournaments. In late 1988, he suggested taking his father on vacation wherever he wanted. Although he had never seen or played poker, the father chose to accompany his son to the 1989 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

"I had to smile because he finally showed me his support," Helmus wrote. "He kept saying to me, 'You'll win that game, right?'"

Helms said he would, but with one condition.

"I told my father he couldn't watch me play during the main event because I felt it would distract me," Helms said. Although his father didn't watch, the elder Helms was there every day to support his son, even bringing him things like bananas.

Ultimately, Helmuth defeated Johnny Chan to win the 1989 WSOP Main Event, earning his first gold bracelet. At the moment of victory, he searched for his father.

"Within seconds, I started scanning the entire arena. Where was my father? Suddenly, he appeared, running between the stands. There was a million dollars in cash on the table. Security guards stopped him, but I waved him through. That hug I gave him was one of the sweetest hugs of my life! My father told me how proud he was of me. He told me how much he loved me. My father was there when I achieved my life's goals. To me, that's absolutely priceless."

This was far from the last special moment the Helms father and son shared. For example, in 1998, Helms Jr. took his father to watch Super Bowl XXXII, where their beloved Green Bay Packers faced off against the Denver Broncos.

Helms Sr. was incredibly proud of his family and often talked about them. This included a 2008 interview with author Gary Trask.

"All five of them hated losing, which came from watching Phil play his whole lives because he was the boss. It was that confidence in themselves and that strong competitive spirit that helped them achieve great things in life," said Helms Sr.

"All five of them reached the pinnacle of their chosen paths. Phil just happened to be the most famous."

PokerNews extends its condolences to Phil Helmus' family.

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